Scottish Executive

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28676 by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 September 2002, whether it would fund the testing of every autistic child for the presence of the measles virus if a validated test became available that would detect the virus other than in its acute viraemic stage.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to give a definitive answer to such a question, about the availability and desirability of funding blood tests on children with autistic spectrum disorders, in the absence of a validated procedure, and subsequent detailed expert consideration of expected outcomes, whether in the context of medical research or the clinical requirements of an individual.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28676 by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 September 2002 and in the light of results of the TaqMan PCR blood tests being duplicated in other laboratories, what further criteria would need to be met for it to recognise the test as a validated methodology.

Malcolm Chisholm: In considering questions about blood tests on children with autistic spectrum disorders, the Executive will have regard to appropriate expert advice and the substantive weight of relevant research evidence relating to the validity and reliability of both the procedure and the purpose, whether in the context of medical research or the clinical requirements of an individual.

Central Heating

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency are eligible for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme and, of these, how many have applied.

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eligible applications for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme received from the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency (a) have been completed and (b) are still being processed.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applications for central heating have been (i) made and (ii) approved and (b) central heating systems have been installed under its central heating programme in (1) 2001 and (2) 2002 in the South Ayrshire local authority area.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applications for central heating have been (i) made and (ii) approved and (b) central heating systems have been installed under its central heating programme in (1) 2001 and (2) 2002 in the East Ayrshire local authority area.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applications for central heating have been (i) made and (ii) approved and (b) central heating systems have been installed under its central heating programme in (1) 2001 and (2) 2002 in the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29195 by Hugh Henry on 30 September 2002, how many applications under its central heating installation programme have been (a) made, (b) approved and (c) rejected to date in each postcode area outwith the FK postcode area.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29435 by Hugh Henry on 8 October 2002, how many central heating systems are currently being installed under its central heating programme in (a) (i) local authority and (ii) housing association properties, broken down by local authority area, and (b) private sector properties, broken down by postcode area.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes in each postcode area in (a) East Kilbride, (b) Hamilton South and (c) Hamilton North and Bellshill parliamentary constituencies are eligible for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme and how many such homes have applied.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eligible applications for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme received from each postcode area in (a) East Kilbride, (b) Hamilton South and (c) Hamilton North and Bellshill parliamentary constituencies (i) are still being processed and (ii) have been completed.

Hugh Henry: I have been considering how best to provide information on progress under the central heating programme. Eaga have set up a website on that programme and the Warm Deal. The address is www.eaga.co.uk. The website gives detail of surveys and installations of central heating by main postcode area. Information is not collected on any other geographical basis. Information not shown is not collected regularly. This information will be updated monthly. Please consult the website for information on progress.

  A copy of each month’s report will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. We will also provide details of progress under the central heating programme by those local authorities and housing associations which are taking part. This information will be made available as they claim grant. No claims have yet been made in 2002-03. A detailed report on the outcomes of the two programmes in 2001-02 will be presented to Parliament shortly.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to expand the number of drug courts and, if so, what the timetable is.

Dr Richard Simpson: Drugs courts are currently being piloted in Glasgow and Fife and are the subject of an independent evaluation. The findings of the evaluation will be available early in 2004 and will inform our consideration of the future of the drugs court. There are therefore no immediate plans to extend the number of drugs courts.

Enterprise

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any impact of increased costs of public, environmental and employers’ liability insurance premiums on small- and medium-sized enterprises; what information it holds on the incidence of such enterprises being unable to secure such insurance cover at an affordable level, and what discussions it is undertaking, or considering undertaking, with Her Majesty’s Government and, in particular, the Secretary of State for Scotland about any (a) market failure and (b) predatory pricing in respect of the availability of such insurance to such enterprises.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has received a number of case studies, illustrating the possible impact of increased business insurance premiums, particularly Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance, and, in some instances, difficulty in securing cover has been identified. It is important to clarify that this type of information is not routinely collected. Not withstanding that fact, the Scottish Executive will continue to encourage individual companies, business organisations and trade associations to share their evidence and concerns on this important matter, to help to build up an accurate representation of the position developing across the UK.

  Responsibility for the statutory requirements affecting Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance rests with the Department of Work and Pensions and I have written to the Minister of State for Work, who is taking the lead on this matter, to express my concerns. The Executive is already directly involved in discussions about options for change and inter-departmental consultation is now well under way. The Scottish Executive will continue to work with the Scotland Office to represent Scottish business interests.

Environment

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is raised through modulation in each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area and how much each such area receives through schemes funded by modulation.

Ross Finnie: During the EAGGF year (16 October 2001 – 30 September 2002) the split of expenditure on agri-environment schemes through modulated funds and matched funding by area office was as follows:

  


Area Office 
  

Receipts Raised
(£000) 
  

Modulation Spent
(£000) 
  

Match Funding
(£000) 
  

Total Spent
(£000) 
  



Ayr 
  

662 
  

134 
  

96 
  

230 
  



Benbecula 
  

16 
  

80 
  

56 
  

136 
  



Dumfries 
  

621 
  

107 
  

77 
  

184 
  



Dundee 
  

710 
  

33 
  

24 
  

57 
  



Galashiels 
  

1,104 
  

134 
  

98 
  

232 
  



Grampian 
  

1,915 
  

145 
  

102 
  

247 
  



Hamilton 
  

223 
  

77 
  

57 
  

134 
  



Inverness 
  

360 
  

104 
  

74 
  

178 
  



Kirkwall 
  

227 
  

48 
  

33 
  

81 
  



Lairg 
  

28 
  

5 
  

3 
  

8 
  



Lerwick 
  

27 
  

162 
  

110 
  

272 
  



Oban 
  

156 
  

91 
  

63 
  

154 
  



Perth 
  

458 
  

69 
  

51 
  

120 
  



Portree 
  

20 
  

13 
  

8 
  

21 
  



Stirling 
  

453 
  

50 
  

36 
  

86 
  



Stornoway 
  

9 
  

16 
  

11 
  

27 
  



Thurso 
  

163 
  

49 
  

35 
  

84 
  



Total 
  

7,152 
  

1,317 
  

934 
  

2,251 
  



  Modulation funding has only been used for forestry schemes since April 2002 and a breakdown of this is given in the following table by Conservancies as this information is not available by area offices:

  


Conservancy Area 
  

Modulation Spent
(£000) 
  

Match Funding
(£000) 
  

Total Spent
(£000) 
  



Grampian 
  

133 
  

133 
  

266 
  



Strathclyde 
  

222 
  

222 
  

444 
  



Perth 
  

124 
  

124 
  

248 
  



South West Scotland 
  

59 
  

59 
  

118 
  



Lothian and Borders 
  

163 
  

163 
  

326 
  



Total 
  

701 
  

701 
  

1,402 
  



  Accordingly the total amount spent on schemes funded through modulation during the period is £3,653,000.

  The balance of the receipts still available from 2001-02 will be spent over the coming years and already the value of modulation supported agri-environment agreements that have been committed over the next three years of their duration amounts to nearly £18 million. In addition new commitments will be entered into in forthcoming application rounds. I have already announced changes to the agri-environment schemes that, subject to agreement by the European Commission, will enable the Executive to use these modulated funds to support a higher number of entrants to such schemes in the future.

Film Classification

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Screen, the Scottish Arts Council or any other cultural organisation provided any funding or assistance towards the cost of the film "Sweet Sixteen"; if so, what funding or assistance each organisation provided; whether any of these organisations made any representations to it regarding any cultural opportunities that showing the film to as wide an audience as possible may bring, and whether it made any representations to the British Board of Film Classification as a result.

Dr Elaine Murray: Lottery funding of £500,000 was provided by Scottish Screen towards the production of the film Sweet Sixteen. No representations have been made to the Scottish Executive by Scottish Screen regarding the film's distribution or potential audience.

Film Classification

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any local authorities have informed it that they plan to overrule the British Board of Film Classification and the 18 classification awarded to the film "Sweet Sixteen".

Dr Elaine Murray: No local authorities have approached the Scottish Executive in this matter.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended disposal routes are for GM oilseed rape crop trial plants following harvesting and why plants grown at these trials need to be disposed of by these methods.

Ross Finnie: There are no recommended disposal routes for the harvested GM crop. The harvest must be disposed in a manner compliant with the terms of the individual consents.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who has monitoring responsibilities to ensure that GM crop trial plants are disposed of appropriately.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, the Scottish Executive's appointed GM Inspectorate, monitor compliance with the conditions of individual consents, including the disposal of the harvested GM material.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Bayer AG in regard to the disposal of the GM crop plants grown at Munlochy in the Black Isle.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive's GM Inspectorate is in regular contact with consent holders about matters relating to compliance with consents.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who was responsible for drawing up any regulations and guidance for the disposal of harvested GM crops.

Ross Finnie: The conditions relating to the disposal of harvested GM crops are contained in the consents. The consents are approved by the regulatory authorities following advice from ACRE and are placed on the Public Register.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any regulations and guidance for the disposal of harvested GM crops.

Ross Finnie: The conditions that apply for the disposal of harvested GM crops are contained in the consents for individual releases. Those consents are available on the Public Register.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the specific location was for the disposal of plants grown at the GM crop trial at Munlochy in the Black Isle.

Ross Finnie: The disposal of the harvest from the GM crop grown at Munlochy is a matter for the consent holder, Bayer AG, who must satisfy the GM Inspectorate that the conditions of the consent have been met. The geographical location of the disposal site is not stipulated in the consent.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what licensing conditions apply to operators contracted to transport plants from GM crop trials to disposal sites.

Ross Finnie: Operators transporting GM material from a trial site for disposal are subject to the same road licensing requirements and any relevant codes of good practice as other waste hauliers. No specific conditions relating to the transport of GM material from Scottish farm-scale evaluation sites have been incorporated into the consents because the material in question is not judged to be hazardous to either human health or the environment.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions apply to contractors or any other persons that carry out harvesting of plants grown at GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: The conditions that apply to the harvest of GM crops are specific to the individual releases and are contained within the consents. The consents are available on the public register.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in regard to the harvesting and disposal of plants grown at the GM crop trial at Munlochy in the Black Isle.

Ross Finnie: None. The consent holder is accountable to the Scottish Executive’s GM Inspectorate for the conditions surrounding the harvest and disposal of the GM crops grown at Munlochy.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the specific disposal routes and locations were for plants grown at GM crop trial sites other than Munlochy in the Black Isle.

Ross Finnie: The disposal of GM crops from individual trials is governed by the consents that apply to each trial and is a matter for the consent holder in each case.

Genetically Modified Crops

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what tests are carried out on non-GM crops grown within a 100 m radius of the GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: In the farm scale evaluations, the same ecological research is conducted on the non-GM crops grown as a control crop as is conducted on the adjacent GM crop. Those tests involve the collection of information on the following indicators:

  soil seed bank;

  arable plant diversity, biomass and estimated seed return;

  field margin and boundary vegetation, noting species in flower and signs of spray drift;

  Gastropods (slugs and snails): abundance, activity and diversity measures;

  Arthropods on vegetation, concentrating on plant bugs (Heteroptera), spring tails (Collembola), and the caterpillars of butterflies, moths, (Lepidoptera) and sawflies: diversity and biomass measures;

  Carabid beetles and other ground dwelling arthropods: abundance and diversity measures;

  bees and butterflies: observational studies, and

  birds and small mammals: observational studies.

  The purpose of these trials is to establish whether the agricultural practices required to grow herbicide-tolerant GM crops has a different environmental impact than the practices used on conventional crops. The evaluations are not attempting to study other aspects of GM cultivation such as gene flow which has been the subject of many other scientific studies.

Genetically Modified Crops

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether non-GM crops grown within 100 m of the GM crop trials are tested to ascertain whether there has been any contamination of the crops with GM material and which organisation carried out any such tests.

Ross Finnie: No. Such tests do not form part of the protocols applicable to the farm-scale evaluations and would only serve to confirm what is already known about the behaviour of pollen from these crops. The possibility of tiny quantities of pollen from the GM crop travelling outwith the trial crop is recognised and the potential consequences are addressed as part of the risk assessment process which is undertaken prior to the granting of approval. Our expert advisers are clear that pollen from the GM crops that have approval for release poses no greater safety threat than pollen from the equivalent conventional crop. Experience of the operation of separation distances suggests that any GM presence beyond this distance will be extremely small.

Genetically Modified Crops

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to protect the public from any potential contamination of non-GM crops that may have been grown in close proximity to the GM crop trials.

Ross Finnie: Separation distances are in place around the GM crops to minimise the dispersal of pollen to adjacent crops. The distances deployed in the farm-scale evaluations are based upon decades of experience in conventional agriculture where they have proved extremely effective at delivering high levels of seed purity.

Genetically Modified Crops

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether non-GM crops grown in close proximity to the GM crop trials can be harvested and sold to the public without the location of such crops being identified.

Ross Finnie: Crops grown outwith the separation distance around a GM crop do not come within the scope of the legislation regulating GM releases. Growers, whether they are the farmer involved in the trial or neighbouring landowners, are at liberty to do what they wish with these crops. Before a GM crop is approved for release, the possible consequences of pollen flow from the crop is assessed carefully. Approval would not be granted if there was considered to be a safety threat to neighbouring crops or to human health.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend that the Central Legal Office of the Common Services Agency undertake a pilot mediation to resolve clinical claims.

Malcolm Chisholm: The expert group chaired by Lord Ross, which is currently looking at the compensation system, will provide the core framework for handling the resolution of disputes in the health area in the future. The Scottish Executive will therefore consider this issue together with the other wide-ranging recommendations from the report by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in the context of the expert group's final report due at the end of December.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has in the development and funding of complementary and alternative therapies in health care provision.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a role for complementary and alternative therapies in health care provision in helping to reduce pressure on GPs and hospital health care services and, if so, what it envisages that role to be.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact complementary and alternative therapies can have on raising the self-esteem of individuals and contributing to a sense of community spirit.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive believes that complementary or alternative therapies may offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions. There is no legislative bar to prevent practitioners of such therapies from offering their services, subject only to some general restrictions such as those on prescribing and supplying medicines and giving injections. A GP or hospital clinician may refer a patient for alternative treatment, but would require to be satisfied of the value of the treatment and the competence of the practitioner and would remain responsible for the patient’s medical care. It is also open to NHS boards or trusts to provide complementary or alternative therapies from the funding made available to them by the Executive, based on their assessments of local needs.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budgetary allocation for complementary and alternative therapies in health care provision is, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is no specific financial allocation for such therapies. It is for each NHS board or trust to make their own assessment of need and provide appropriate resources.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a role for complementary and alternative therapies in health care provision in helping to reduce pressure on GPs and hospital health care services and, if so, what it envisages that role to be.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive with how many current projects concerning complementary and alternative therapies it has an involvement.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is currently directly funding four research projects and one research training fellowship concerning complementary and alternative therapies. The CSO is always happy to receive further applications for research projects concerning complementary and alternative therapies, which would need to be of a sufficiently high standard and would be subject to the usual committee and peer review.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether complementary and alternative therapies could make a significant impact on the health of those from poorer backgrounds.

Malcolm Chisholm: The possible benefits of complementary and alternative therapies would apply to people from all backgrounds.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any consideration to implementing a scheme to introduce complementary and alternative therapies to those from poorer backgrounds.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has not received proposals for any such scheme.

Health

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27563 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 August 2002, whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland has investigated the use of needle fasciotomy as a treatment for Dupuytren’s Contracture and, if so, what the conclusions were.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) has not investigated the use of needle fasciotomy as a treatment for Dupuytren’s Contracture, nor is this topic on its work programme. To be investigated by the HTBS, the topic would need to be proposed to the HTBS. The HTBS work programme and topic proposal forms are available to the public on the HTBS website at: www.htbs.co.uk , or by contacting the HTBS.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, for those aged (a) 16 to 17, (b) 18 to 20 and (c) 16 to 20 accused of an offence, what the average time was in days from the (i) incident to a report being made to the procurator fiscal, (ii) report to the procurator fiscal to the marking of the report, (iii) marking of the report to the trial and (iv) trial to disposal in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Colin Boyd QC: The information requested is not held centrally.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28916 by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2002, why the reasons contained in that answer do not also apply to the absolute right to buy salmon fishings contained in Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Ross Finnie: The reasons given in answer to question S1W-28916 relate to an absolute right to buy and because of that are not relevant to the crofting community right to buy salmon fishings. The crofting community right to buy is not an absolute right to buy. It is conditional on a range of criteria being met and can be exercised by a crofting community body only when ministers consider that the acquisition of the property would be in the public interest. There are also very tight constraints on when the right to buy salmon fishings can be exercised. So the existence of the right should have no impact on the value of salmon fishings. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Ministerial Visits

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits each minister and junior minister plans to make to each parliamentary constituency between now and 1 May 2003.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: The number and location of visits undertaken by Scottish Executive ministers will be dependent upon the invitations received by each minister and other engagements and meetings requiring the attendance of ministers.

Public Appointments

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27777 by Mr Andy Kerr on 29 August 2002, how many appointees in the last 12 months failed to complete political activity forms prior to appointment to a non-departmental public body.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-20118 on 26 March 2002 and S1W-25468 on 30 April 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Since 26 March, no appointee has failed to complete a political activity declaration form.

Scottish Executive Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles in the government car service have been converted to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or bought with LPG facilities; how many days the vehicles were inoperable during such conversion, and which facilities it uses for re-fuelling.

Mr Andy Kerr: Twenty-one   of the vehicles operated by the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) are dual-fuelled. All were converted prior to purchase.

  GCS drivers are issued with a fuel agency card for use nation-wide, and this facility is supplemented where necessary by local accounts. This enables the drivers to obtain LPG from over a hundred refuelling stations.

Scottish Executive Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of the government car service in each month since May 1999; detailing the fuel, vehicle purchase or leasing and staff costs and the cost of conversion of any cars to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or purchase of cars with LPG facilities.

Mr Andy Kerr: The monthly expenditure on fuel, vehicle purchase, and staff costs for the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) since May 1999 is shown in the following table:

  


Month 
  

Fuel Cost (£) 
  

Vehicle Purchase (£)1


Staff Costs (£)2




May 1999 
  

2,120 
  

0 
  

3




June 1999 
  

3,076 
  

0 
  

3




July 1999 
  

3,575 
  

0 
  

3




August 1999 
  

1,620 
  

0 
  

3




September 1999 
  

4,730 
  

0 
  

3




October 1999 
  

4,227 
  

0 
  

3




November 1999 
  

2,927 
  

0 
  

3




December 1999 
  

3,345 
  

0 
  

3




January 2000 
  

2,391 
  

0 
  

3




February 2000 
  

2,511 
  

0 
  

3




March 2000 
  

3,251 
  

84,788 
  

3




April 2000 
  

4,032 
  

0 
  

17,316 
  



May 2000 
  

2,353 
  

47,040 
  

14,438 
  



June 2000 
  

2,712 
  

0 
  

9,937 
  



July 2000 
  

2,715 
  

0 
  

25,648 
  



August 2000 
  

2,150 
  

82,641 
  

19,146 
  



September 2000 
  

1,378 
  

0 
  

16,064 
  



October 2000 
  

1,930 
  

0 
  

18,645 
  



November 2000 
  

2,187 
  

0 
  

21,755 
  



December 2000 
  

1,261 
  

0 
  

25,922 
  



January 2001 
  

1,431 
  

100,574 
  

18,964 
  



February 2001 
  

1,177 
  

0 
  

18,405 
  



March 2001 
  

2,450 
  

0 
  

27,162 
  



April 2001 
  

2,452 
  

0 
  

31,784 
  



May 2001 
  

3,124 
  

0 
  

28,243 
  



June 2001 
  

3,625 
  

0 
  

35,851 
  



July 2001 
  

2,167 
  

0 
  

33,144 
  



August 2001 
  

3,637 
  

0 
  

32,749 
  



September 2001 
  

3,254 
  

0 
  

37,930 
  



October 2001 
  

3,682 
  

0 
  

37,083 
  



November 2001 
  

3,882 
  

0 
  

35,168 
  



December 2001 
  

2,657 
  

0 
  

36,992 
  



January 2002 
  

3,548 
  

0 
  

33,533 
  



February 2002 
  

3,346 
  

0 
  

35,832 
  



March 2002 
  

3,652 
  

23,776 
  

35,459 
  



April 2002 
  

3,253 
  

0 
  

37,483 
  



May 2002 
  

4,761 
  

0 
  

34,686 
  



June 2002 
  

3,149 
  

0 
  

37,178 
  



July 2002 
  

3,433 
  

0 
  

34,864 
  



August 2002 
  

3,893 
  

0 
  

35,114 
  



  Notes:

  1. The figure provided is net, plus VAT. None of the GCS vehicles are leased.

  2. Staff costs include ASLC and ERNIC.

  3. A breakdown of monthly costs is not available.

Scottish Investment Trust

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, what the key advantages of public private partnerships are which would be negated under a not-for-profit trust.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, whether it will publish its evaluation of the Scottish National Party’s Scottish Investment Trust proposal.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, what the unanswered questions are about a powerful funding body, like a private sector trust, influencing public infrastructure investment.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, what base levels and criteria it used when evaluating the Scottish National Party’s Scottish Investment Trust proposal.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, how it arrived at the position that the Scottish National Party’s Scottish Investment Trust proposal would need the government to act as a guarantor.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5476 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 September 2002, whether it would support the establishment of a Scottish Investment Trust which did not need the government to act as guarantor.

Mr Andy Kerr: The traditional PPP/PFI structure results in the linking of finance, construction and maintenance with the result that the private sector is incentivised to perform, driving efficiency and results. That element is removed under the trust proposal.

  The Executive’s views on the trust proposal are already in the public domain, having been the subject of parliamentary questions and debates. Such a trust would need to take advantage of the Executive’s ability to enter into contingent liabilities and to act as guarantor to these liabilities. Key questions relating to the governance and accountability of the trust, with a potential budget of billions of pounds, remain unanswered. We could end up with key decisions being taken not by elected ministers, but by trustees.

  The Executive is always willing to consider innovative ways of funding investment in public services, as demonstrated by our involvement in the development of a Non-Profit Distributing Organisation in Argyll and Bute.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Opening Ceremony

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any element of the planned opening ceremony for the new Parliament building could represent any taxable benefit to members.

Sir David Steel: : Planning for the opening ceremonies is at a very early stage. It is not possible to say what the elements will be.